Friday, 28 June 2013

Tiny spaces can be portals too

Okay, I suppose the ultimate tiny space we all have is inside our own heads but, as conundrums go, it is probably also the largest at the same time. Intriguing and quite amazing when you think about it – we can take ourselves anywhere, at anytime, with anyone in there. I have always been intrigued by the fact that our minds/imaginations can be so limitless, so tangible in the multitude of paths they follow and yet none of us have ever seen one. How can something we use everyday be invisible? Formless, (at least in the corporeal sense)? It is an extraordinary thing.

The road in the header photo resonates with this for me, a path to follow – yes, I know it's a bit obvious, cliche even – but I've always loved exploring those places, going just that bit further to see what lies round the corner or over the hill. I enjoy escaping into pictures, photos, paintings, whatever, just wondering what there is that you can't see, what lies beyond. Visuals can be a great stimulus for words, just look at where it got Tracey Chevalier for one; fabulous.

This is the sort of stuff I'll be blogging about, though a few other areas of interest may pop up from time to time as the mood takes me. Like landscapes, not necessarily pictures of, (though that's a possibility too), but different types of countryside, seaside etc. that inspire or just make me go 'wow' in a breathtaking moment. The photo header at the top of this page marks one of those. I took the shot on a walk in Cornwall, one of my favourite places, there was a bend in the road then this tree all wind-blasted and leaning, with great puffs of cloud behind it. Very dramatic and rather beautiful I thought so I took a snap. It has a sort of plucky air about it, clinging to the bank like that and reminded me of the trees in Shetland. The wind is so fierce up there, the land so exposed that vegetation above ground level has quite a fight on its hands, but don't let that put you off, it's a beautiful place with wonderful bays and a landscape all its own … plus an abundance of birdlife, any twitchers amongst you would love it!

In this blog. I'll be featuring writers, a visual artist or two, musicians, people working in a whole range of mediums, basically anyone who provides me with a 'wow' moment – I hope they will provide you with some 'wow' moments too. To whet your appetite, here's one I took earlier (very 'Blue Peter'), Cornwall again. Can you see a lioness' head in those clouds or is it just me?